Floating binder mechanism for controlling loom shuttles



SePt- 2, 1969 E. F. BAHAN 3,464,457

FLOATING BINDER MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING LOOM SHUTTLES Filed FSb. 16, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .fsa

v0-ff INVENTOR: EDWARD F. BAHAN ATTORNEY E. F. BAHAN Sept. 2, l969 FLOATING BINDER MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING LOOM SHUTTLES Filed Feb. 16. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDvx/ADFTA HAH E. F. BAHAN sept. 2, 1969 FLOATING BINDER MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING LOOM SHUTTLES Filed Feb. 16. 196'? 5 Sheets-Sheet. 3

INVENTOR; EDWARD E 5A Hm A'ITOR EY 3,464,457 FLOATING BINDER MECHANISM FOR CON- TROLLING LOOM SHUTTLES Edward F. Bahan, Greenville, S.C., assignor to Bahan Textile Machinery Company, Inc., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Feb. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 616,715 Int. Cl. D03d 49/56, 5.7/40

U.S. Cl. 139-187 8 'Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shuttle control mechanism for a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at each end of the lay for receiving and releasing the shuttle, an elongated binder forming one wall of each of the boxes, and a shuttle checking pressure means alternately engageable with and disengageable from the binder, said binder being movable three-dimensionally in response to the combined opposing pressures of a box-receiving shuttle and an engaging pressure means, the binder being three-dimensionally floatable upon disengagement of the pressure means from the binder.

This invention relates to loom shuttle boxes and more particularly to a back binder assembly for checking the movement of a shuttle as it enters the box.

Heretofore, numerous types of shuttle checking devices have been provided, including the pivoted floating binders. So far as applicant is aware, however, none of such prior art devices have consisted of a freely oating binder combined with a mechanism for imparting bodily transverse parallel movement thereto to cause substantially 100% of the binder contact area to simultaneously apply uniform unit pressure against an equal area of the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a freely floating back binder assembly for loom shuttle boxes in which the shuttle is checked by the simultaneous application of uniform unit binder pressure to the surface of the incoming shuttle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a binder assembly of the class described wherein the maximum uniform unit binder pressure is applied as the shuttle enters the box and subsequently relieved to a minimum as the shuttle is ejected so that the picking motion will be required to overcome very little, if any, binder pressure at the time of the pick.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an elongated floating binder for checking the movement of a shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, in combination with transversely movable and longitudinally yieldable gripping means of pressing the binder into engagement with the shuttle with a uniform unit pressure.

It is another object of invention to provide in combination with a shuttle box: an elongated freely floating binder, at least two longitudinally spaced rigid pressure members movable in one direction to impart bodily parallel transverse movement to the binder toward the path of shuttle travel, and spring means connecting the binder with each of the spaced members to yieldingly hold the binder parallel to the path of travel of the shuttle as the binder is withdrawn from shuttle contacting position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a loom shuttle box having a novel leverage system jointly carried by the loom sword and crankshaft for applying simultaneous unit shuttle checking pressure to a oating binder.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a shuttle box as described in the immediately preceding nited States Patent O 3,464,457 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 ice paragraph in combination with means actuated independently of the shuttle checking pressure means for applying protector rod pressure to the binder positively and substantially in unison with said checking pressure, and conversely, for relieving these two pressures in unison.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the opposite ends of a loom lay having shuttle boxes embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view taken along line 2 2 in FIGURE 1, showing the invention as applied to one of the shuttle boxes;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged ,transverse sectional view taken along lines 3 3 in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional detail view taken along lines 4 4 in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional detail view taken along line 5 5 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 6 6 in FIGURE 1, showing the mechanism for relieving the binder shuttle checking pressure in timed relation :to the movement of the loom lay;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along lines 7 7 in FIGURES 1 and 2, showing parts of the protector rod mechanism;-

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional detail View taken along line 8 8 in FIGURE l, omitting the crankshaft and pitman but showing a mechanism for relieving the protector rod pressure upon the binder during a time interval beginning with the ejection or" the shuttle from one box and ending prior to the shuttle entering the opposite box on the loom lay;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to the central portion of FIGURE 8, showing a modified form of protector rod pressure relieving mechanism;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional detail View similar to the central portion of FIGURE 6, showing a modified form of mechanism for relieving binder shuttle-checking pressure;

FIGURE 1l is a sectional plan View taken along line 11 11 in FIGURE lO;

FIGURE l2 is a sectional view taken along line 12 12 in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a plan View similar to the right-hand portion of FIGURE 1, showing a modi-lied form of the invention in which spring means are provided for yieldingly withdrawing the binder from shuttle-engaging position at the beginning of a pick, and

FIGURE 14 is a sectional transverse view taken along line 14 14 in FIGURE 13.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numerals 10, 10' denote the opposite end portions of a loom lay provided with shuttle boxes 11, 11 respectively (FIGURE 1), said lay being mounted upon the upper portions of swords 12, 12' which, in turn, have their lower ends secured to rocker shaft 14 (FIGURE 6).

The lay 10, 10" is rocked back and forth in a conventional manner by pitmans 15, 15', said pitman being pivotally connected as at 17, 17 to crankshaft 18 and as at 16, 16' to swords 12, 12', respectively. Since the component parts of the invention at one end of the lay are opposite hand to the corresponding parts at the other end, only the parts at one end will be described and the opposite hand parts will be indicated on the drawings with the same reference characters with prime notations added.

Shuttle box 11 comprises a iixed front wall 23 having a shuttle contact liner 23a and a back binder 24 having an oppositely disposed contact liner 24a. Liners 23a and 24a are substantially parallel and are adapted to engage and release a shuttle 25 as it enters and departs from the shuttle box. During operation of the loom, the shuttle is propelled back and yforth between shuttle boxes 11 and 11' in a well-known manner by pickers 26 and 26'. As the shuttle enters the box, the back binder 24 is moved bodily against the latter by a control mechanism hereinafter described to exert uniform unit checking pressure over an area extending longitudinally of the shuttle.

Binder 24 is mounted for limited universal bodily movement adjacent the path of travel of shuttle 25, that is, for movement in all directions transversely and longitudinally of its longitudinal axis. Stated more specifically, the opposite ends of the binder are loosely confined upon lay by means such as a bar 20, a relatively large recess 29 at one end of the binder and a horizontally disposed bolt 30 at the other, said bolt penetrating a relatively large bore 31 in the binder, thereby permitting bodily transverse and longitudinal movement in response to the impact of the incoming shuttle. It will be noted in FIGURES 1-4 that shuttle box 11 is provided with a conventional elongated bar positioned above binder 24, said bar having one of its longitudinal edges projecting inwardly over a portion of the path of shuttle to thereby limit the upward transverse movement of the shuttle as it moves to and from boxed position It is a well-known fact that the picker 26 and its picker stick swing in an arcuate path prior to delivering the expelling blow to the shuttle thus producing a lateral force component acting transversely of the rectilinear shuttle path. In order that the binder may freely adjust itselfO to this lateral force component when the shuttle is expelled, as well as a similar lateral component produced by the incoming shuttle, the face of bar 20 is normally separated from the proximate upper face of floating binder 24 by an elongated space 21, the latter space corresponding to the amount of permissible vertical transverse movement of the binder.

Bolt 30 is secured for vertical adjustment in vertical slot 32 of bracket 33 by means of nuts 34, said bracket being secured to lay 10` by means of stud bolt 35. Similarly, the bolt 30 may be adjusted longitudinally by means of nuts 34 to properly position the head of the bolt and thereby limit the inward movement of the associated end of the binder. It is thus` seen that binder 24 is loosely confined and capable of limited floating or three-dimensional movement in the absence of externally acting forces hereinafter described which move, or tend to move, the binder at predetermined time intervals in a particular direction or directions.

More specifically, the transverse bodily parallel binder movement toward the shuttle path is effected by means of contact bolts 39 and 40 adjustably secured in the upper ends of arms 41 and 42, respectively, the lower ends of said arms being fixedly secured to a horizontally disposed shaft 43 mounted for oscillation in brackets 33 and 45 and in sword 12 (FIGURES 1 and 2). Contact bolts 39y and are adjusted to simultaneously press against binder 24 when the liner 24a is disposed substantially parallel to the path of travel the face 25a of the shuttle as the latter enters box 11. In FIGURE l the shuttle 25- is shown in checked position, at which time the face of liner 24a exerts uniform unit pressure against shuttle face 25a under the influence of torsion spring 48, hereinafter described (FIGURES 1 and 2). As the shuttle 25 is ejected, however, the contact members 39 and 40 are retracted from the binder thereby leaving it universally or three dimensionally movable.

The torsion spring 48 is disposed around rod or shaft 43 and normally tends to swing arms 41 and 42 and the associated contacts 39' and 40 toward the binder 24, said spring having one end thereof anchored in a stationary bracket as at 49 and its other end yieldingly engaging arm 41 as at 50.

Immediately before the shuttle 25 enters a shuttle box, the binder 24 is floatable or three-dimensionally movable since it is disengaged from both the shuttle checking pressure means 39, 40 and the shuttle, as well as other adjacent surfaces of the box. In order to effectively employ this type of binder as a shuttle checking means, it is mandatory that the application of the checking pressure be timed with split-second accuracy with respect to the shuttle movement; that is, the checking pressure must be applied to one side of the binder substantially simultaneously with the application of shuttle pressure to the other side. Otherwise, excessive binder displacement will result. When the pressures are properly timed, however, the binder will be moved bodily in response to a resultant force of the opposing pressures. The checking pressures resolved act three-dimensionally upon the binder 24, that is, the pressure components of the incoming shuttle act substantially horizontally and laterally and longitudinally along one face of the binder while the pressure components of the pressure means 39, 40 act transversely and vertically along the opposite face of the binder.

Although the three-dimensional binder movement is limited by recess 29 and bolt 30 in bore 31, such limiting means serve primarily as a safety precaution to prevent accidental or excessive displacement resulting from abnormal operation.

As shuttle 25 enters box 11, the spring is released to exert shuttle checking pressure against binder 24 by means of a control mechanism jointly actuated and carried by sword 12 and pitman 15 to effect the aforementioned uniform unit binder checking pressure over the shuttle contact area 25a (FIGURES 1, 2` and 6). This control mechanism comprises a laterally extending arm integral with shaft 43, a roller 56 mounted on one end of a lever 57, a pivot bolt 58 for mounting the lever 57 intermediate its ends to a bracket 59, a bolt 60 for anchoring bracket 59 to the sword 12, and a second bracket 61 secured to piifman 15, said second bracket having a horizontally disposed slot 62 therein Ifor slidably confining the other end of lever 57. In the bold-line position of the parts as shwn in FIGURE 6, the lay 10 is in back position with the roller 56 out of contact with ar-m 55, thereby permitting the torsion spring 48 to transmit its maximum pijessure upon binder 24 and shuttle 25 through the intermediate members 39 through 42.

As the crankshaft rota es forwardly from the bold-line to the dotted-line position, the lever 57 is rotated in a clockwise direction to cause roller 56 to depress arm S5 and thereby relieve the pressure of spring 48 as the shuttle is ejected from box 11. The corresponding apposite hand controls associated with box 11 also effect the abovedescribed binder pressure and binder pressure relief in timed relation to the entry and expulsion of the shuttle from this box.

Incorporated with the above-described shuttle checking binder pressure mechanism is a device for relieving the protector rod pressure upon the binder at the time of the pick and for resuming this pressure before or as the shuttle enters the box at the opposite end of the lay. Due to the freely floating state of the binders during most of the interim period of shuttle movement between the boxes the application and suspension of the protector rod pressure likewise must be gauged with extreme accuracy relative to the corresponding binder checking pressures if the protection is afforded at the time the shuttle enters the box. For example, if the protector .rod pressure is applied prematurely, loom stoppage will be effected without cause; and if applied belatedly, stoppage will not be effected should cause exist. By providing independently adjustable controls for the respective shuttle checking and protector rod pressure mechanisms, the relative timing of these pressures can be gauged by splitsecond accuracy. Moreover, at the time of a pick, the protector rod pressure is relieved independently, positively and concurrently with the relief of the binder pressure thereby diminishing the force exerted by the picking mechanism to expel the shuttle from the box.

Specifically, the protector rod 65 is mounted for oscillation beneath lay and has integral with the opposite ends thereof laterally extending arms 66 and 66 (FIG- URES 1, 2 and 7). Upwardly extending fingers 69 and 69' are secured upon the free ends of arms 66 and 66', respectively, said fingers having adjustably secured in their upper ends horizontally disposed contact bolts 70, 70 for engaging binders 24, 24', respectively. A dagger 67 is integral with one end of rod 65, which dagger operates a conventional mechanism (not shown) to stop the loom when the shuttle is absent from a box at a predetermined time, or else improperly boxed.

A torsion spring 77 is disposed around protector rod 65 (FIGURE 2), one end of said spring being secured as at 78 to collar 79 fixedly secured upon the rod, and the other end of the spring being secured to the lay 10 as at 80. Spring 77 normally tends to rotate fingers 69, 69 and the associated contact bolts 7 0, 70 toward binders 24, 24', respectively. If the shuttle 25 is properly boxed, the dagger is held thereby in the bold-line position shown in FIGURE 7 so that the outer end thereof will not engage the stop mechanism. When the shuttle is improperly boxed, however, the binder will move inwardly of the shuttle box beyond normal shuttle contacting position thus allowing the dagger to rotate to the dotted-line position to actuate the stop mechanism.

When shuttle 25 is in box 11 as previously stated, the lay is in its back position (FIGURES 2 and 7), and at that time the protection device is open. The device remains open until the lay beats up and returns to midway position. Then, after the shuttle is ejected from box 11 and before or as it enters box 11', the protector device closes, that is, the contact bolts 70, 70' press against their respective binders 24, 24. The open position of the device is again assumed at or immediately preceding the ejection of the shuttle from box 11'.

FIGURE 8 shows the mechanism for relieving the protector rod binder pressure during the time interval beginning with the ejection of the shuttle from one box and ending prior or as to the entry of this shuttle into the opposite box as described above. This pressure relieving mechanism comprises a finger 82 having its upper end fixedly secured to the protector rod and having a cam surface 83 on its lower end; a roller 84 mounted upon the upper end of lever 85 for cooperating with cam surface 83; and a bolt 86 for pivotally mounting lever 85 intermediate its ends upon cam arm 87, one end of the arm 87 being pivoted as at 88 to cloth roll stand 89 and the other end resting upon a cam 90 fixedly secured upon rotatable cam shaft 91. Roller 84 and lever 85 tend to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 86 and against stop 87a under the influence of tension spring 93.

It will be observed that the top of roller 84 is at substantially the same elevation as the lower portion of cam surface 83 when these parts are in the bold-line positions shown in FIGURE 8. As the lay 10 and associated finger 82 move to the left, the roller 84 is elevated to its dotted-line position and into the path of cam surface 83 as a result of the rotation of cam shaft 91, and the cam 90 and the clockwise rotation imparted by the cam to lever 87 and roller 84 about pivot 88.

Thus, during the forward movement of the lay 10 the cam surface 83 rides upon roller 84 to thereby rotate the protector rod 65 and the associated parts 66, 66', 69, 69', and 70, 70' in a counterclockwise direction (FIGURES 7 and 8) to relieve the pressure upon the binders 24, 24'. By actuating the above mechanism positively from the cam shaft 91, it is possible to obtain split-second accuracy in the timing of the protector rod pressure and pressurerelieving intervals.

In the event the shuttle should be absent from or improperly boxed within a shuttle box, the arm 82 would remain in a lowered position as the lay moves from forward to rearward position and therefore the upper portion of roller 84 would be engaged, followed by the rotation of both the roller and lever 85 to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 8 as the arm 82 passes over concurrently with the operation of the stop motion (not shown) by dagger 67 (FIGURE 7).

FIGURE 9 shows a modified form of protector rod relieving mechanism similar to the form shown in FIG- URE 8. In this modification, the roller 84 and lever 85 are pivoted as at 94 to a stationary bracket 95, said bracket being fixedly secured to the cloth roll stand 89 by bolts 96. Projection 95a limits the counterclockwise rotation of lever 85 and roller 84 resulting from the tension spring 93. Cooperating with roller 84 are the lowermost cam surfaces 83a and 83b on arm 82a fixedly secured to protector rod 65.

As the protector rod 65 and finger 82a move forwardly to the left in FIGURE 9, the cam surface 83a rides upon roller 84 to rotate the finger 82a and rod 65 in a clockwise direction to the dotted-line position, at which time the protector rod pressure upon the binders is relieved. Finger 82a will remain in an elevated position subsequent to its passage over roller 84 to the forward position of the lay unless the shuttle is absent from or improperly positioned within a shuttle box. Then as the lay moves rearwardly to the right, the cam surface 83a will strike roller 84 and rotate both the roller and lever 85 to dottedline position while passing thereover and without imparting rotation to the protector rod 65 and associated binder pressure members.

FIGURES 10, 11 and 12 show a modified form of mechanism for relieving the shuttle checking binder pressure. This modification is similar to, but more compact than, the mechanism shown in FIGURE 6. It will be observed in FIGURE 11 that one end of pitman 15 has an end piece 98 secured thereto which, in turn, is pivotally secured to sword 12 by means of wrist pin 99, said pin having a restricted end portion 99a' on which one end of a cam arm 100 is loosely mounted. The arm 100` has integral therewith an upwardly inclined cam surface 100a which is positioned opposite the lower free end of an arm 101 integral with and depending from oscillatable rod 43. The left-hand end of arm 100- (FIGURES 10 and 11) is secured in circumferentially adjusted position about the pin end portion 99a by means of a bolt 102, a slot 100b in arm 100, and arcuate slot 103 in one leg of L- shaped bracket 104. The other leg of bracket 104 has a slot 105 fitting about pitman 15 (FIGURE 12), the last-named leg also having a dovetail projection 106 integral therewith slidably fitting within a radial keyway in the endpiece 98. A nut 107 on pitman 15 serves to clamp bracket 104 in keyed position.

As sword 12 moves to the left in FIGURE 10, the cam surface 100a engages the lower end of arm 101 to rotate shaft 43 in a counterclockwise direction to thereby relieve the shuttle checking binder pressure at the proper time; and subsequently, to render the last-named checking pressure effective as the shuttle enters a box.

The operating position of cam surface 100:1 may be adjusted relative to the end of arm 101 radially of bolt 102 by means of slot 100b to compensate for excessive clearance between the pin projection 99a and the bore in which it fits. The cam surface 10011 may also be adjusted circumferentially relative to the pin projection 99a by means of the aforementioned bolt 102 and arcuate slot 103.

FIGURES 13 and 14 show a modification similar to FIGURES 1 and 2 but with the addition of a relatively Weak spring 75 between the floating binder 24 and each of the pressure contact bolts 39 and 40. These springs 75 connect the binder with the bolts 39 and 40 and serve to yieldingly hold the binder in substantially parallel position to the path of shuttle travel as the binder is retracted. The springs 75 are not sufficiently strong to interfere with the inward binder pressure, but on the rearward binder movement the latter is maintained in a forward position in spaced relation to the ends of bolts 39 and 40 to prevent chattering.

It is important to note that the transverse uniform unit checking pressure upon the incoming shuttle is accompanied by a yielding longitudinal checking pressure. This feature is of critical significance since it cushions the shuttle impact, dampens the vibrations of the shuttle and binder, and greatly increases the operating eiciency and useful life of the parts.

By observing FIGURES 1, 2, 13 and 14, it will be noted that the contact bolts 39 and 40 are respectively provided with resilient contact heads or elements 39a and 40a which are made of rubber or the like. These elements releasably grip the binder surface to exert concurrently a transverse shuttle checking pressure and a yielding longitudinal checking pressure as the shuttle enters the shuttle box. Likewise, the protector rod binder Contact bolt 70 (FIGURES 1, 2, 7, 8, 13 and 14) may be provided with a resilient binder gripping element 70a which supplements the aforementioned transverse and longitudinal checking pressures.

Where the protector rod transverse pressure exerted by contact member 70 upon binder 24 supplements the transverse pressure exerted by contact members 39 and 40, it is necessary to adjust the positions of members 39, 4t) and 70 relative to the binder and, moreover, regulate the respective tensions in springs 48 and 77 so that the desired uniform unit shuttle checking pressure will be obtained.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings and specific terms employed in the specification in describing these embodiments. Any such specific terms, however, are used in a generic sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box at each end of said lay, and means for propelling said shuttle back and forth from one box to the other, a control mechanism for said shuttle comprising; an elongated binder forming a wall portion of each of said boxes and disposed longitudinally adjacent the path of travel of said shuttle, and shuttle checking pressure means alternately movable transversely into engagement with and to disengagement from Said binder to respectively press the latter into engagement with and to relieve binder pressure from the shuttle when in the associated box, said binder being movable three-dimensionally in response to the resultant force produced by the simultaneous engagement therewith by said pressure means and the opposing pressure of the shuttle entering the box, said binder being three-dimensionally floatable upon disengagement therefrom of said pressure means.

2. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said checking pressure means transversely engages and disengages from said binder at spaced points along the length of the latter.

3. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 2 and further comprising spring means interconnecting said checking pressure means and said binder to yieldingly space the binder from the pressure means during the disengaging movement of the pressure means.

4. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 1 and further comprising a crankshaft, a sword oscillatably supporting said lay, a pitman having its opposite ends pivotally secured to said crankshaft and sword respectively, a protector rod contact member alternately movable transversely into engagement with and to disengagement from said three-dimensionally movable binder and substantially in unison with the movement of said shuttle checking pressure means, means including said pitman for actuating said pressure means, and means including said crankshaft for actuating said protector rod contact member.

5. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 4 and further comprising means controlled by the combined motion of said lay and pitman for receiving the pressure of said shuttle checking pressure means upon said binder as said shuttle is propelled from the box, said relieving means including a cam fixedly mounted upon said pitman and oscillatable therewith about said pitman pivot, and a lever oscillatably mounted upon said lay and engageable with said cam.

6. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 5 and further comprising means for adjusting said cam circumferentially about said pitman pivot to thereby vary the timing of said pressure relieving means.

7. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 1 and further comprising a crankshaft, a sword oscillatably supporting said lay, a pitman having its opposite ends pivotally secured to said crankshaft and sword respectively, means controlled by the combined motion of said lay and pitman for relieving the pressure of said shuttle checking pressure means upon said binder as said shuttle is propelled from the box, said relieving means including a cam iixedly mounted upon said pitman and oscillatable therewith about said pitman pivot, and a lever oscillatably mounted upon said lay and engageable with said cam.

8. A shuttle control mechanism as defined in claim 7 and further comprising means for adjusting said cam circumferentially to fixed positions about said pitman pivot to thereby vary the timing of said pressure relieving means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 656,181 8/1900 Draper 139-187 1,063,409 6/1913 Benz 139-185 1,495,606 5/1924 McMichael 139-187 2,341,843 2/1944 Hamilton 139-185 3,012,586 12/1961 Budzyna 139-187 3,322,161 5/1967 Evans et al. 139-187 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,807 2/1920 France.

708,677 5/ 1954 Great Britain.

515,386 11/1952 Belgium.

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner 

